Which Headphones when Traveling? My test of the Bose QuietComfort 35
To tell the truth, I was not a big user of headphones while traveling before and I was satisfied with basic and cheap headphones. But that was until Bose offered to test the QuietComfort 35 during my trip to Japan. At first, I was, I must admit, a little skeptical, about the idea of cluttering up with such a helmet while traveling. I have given up on the idea of traveling light for a long time, but still, was it worth carrying around one more device in my business? Well, it’s simple! After this experience, I don’t even plan to travel without it anymore, especially if I go by plane. I was completely blown away by the QuietComfort 35and in particular its noise reduction function. It’s not just headphones, its noise-canceling headphones, and that when traveling, it’s extraordinary! Here is the story of my experience
First presentation of the material. The QuietComfort 35 is a Bose headset, a renowned specialist in audio products. Like its predecessors in the QuietComfort series, it offers excellent quality sound combined with high-performance noise reduction technology, which continuously measures and analyzes ambient noise to cancel it out by emitting an opposite signal.
Its main innovation is that it works wirelessly thanks to the Bluetooth functionality. You can register up to eight devices in the pairing list, so it’s possible to connect your smartphone, laptop, tablet, etc.
Unrivaled comfort on a plane: like in a bubble!
The plane is a very noisy environment, which causes a lot of stress and fatigue. In addition, if you want to listen to music, you have to turn the volume up to a high level to cover the ambient noise of the motors, which is bad for your ears. I was aware of this before, but even more so now that I experienced “the plane in silence”. The first time I did the test, on a long-haul flight from Paris to Tokyo, I was amazed. It’s simple, I put my headphones on before takeoff to listen to music and I did not remove it until an hour later: I was actually completely dumbfounded by the noise level of the engines! It was even painful to have to bear all this noise and I quickly put my headphones back on. You can of course use it without listening to music, just for the noise canceling function. I kept it on my ears for the duration of the twelve hour flight. It really feels like you’re in a bubble. I, who also am afraid on a plane and who am always worried at the slightest change in engine speed or suspicious noise, it has allowed me to be much more relaxed because we no longer hear anything. I did not have the scenario, but it also applies to babies who cry, children who cry or noisy neighbors … In short, I no longer see myself traveling by plane without the QuietComfort … Try it, it is to adopt it 😉 It is also possible to connect it to the TV system of the plane and it’s very nice to be able to watch a movie with great sound, which is not usually the case on an airplane. There are more options as well on saim deals where they reviewed almost 50 plus headsets to use on different places and reasons.
These observations are also valid for coach or train journeys. I also really enjoyed these headphones on board the Shinkansen in Japan. It’s very relaxing to find yourself in a bubble of silence and you can rest or enjoy the scenery even better. You just have to be careful not to miss your stop if you get off before the terminus, because suddenly, you no longer hear the announcements of the train.
It is also a very useful headset when you are a mobile worker like me and you need to concentrate in a noisy environment. I have used it several times to work in wifi cafes in Tokyo or in my capsule hotel room so as not to disturb the neighbors while watching videos on the internet.
Pros / Cons of QuietComfort 35
Beyond the specifics I just mentioned, and in particular the sound quality and noise reduction, here are some additional details.
- Pos:
Battery life. It was my main fear with a Bluetooth device, but the QuietComfort has 20 hours of autonomy, so it fits perfectly on a long haul flight. When you turn it on, you hear the level of battery used so it’s easy to know where you are and whether to recharge.
The comfort of wireless. It’s so nice not to get tangled with the wires of your headphones! You can leave your smartphone in the bottom of your bag while listening to your music. In addition, there is a range of a good ten meters and you can therefore travel on the plane or the train without cutting your music.
The storage box. Very practical, you can fold the helmet and it is well protected.
- Cons:
The price. This is the main negative point of QuietComfort. At around 280 euros, this represents an investment. But who says high technology, says, high price…
The risk of theft. With such a price, it is a helmet which must inevitably arouse lusts… As much in Japan, I never had any fear of using it in transport or public places, but there are many countries where that would not be possible. At least the plane, whatever the airlines, remains a safe space.
Beware of the bubble effect … I cannot complete this feedback without however issuing a warning. As much by plane or in a closed place, it is very pleasant to be isolated in a bubble, but it can however represent a danger in an open environment where it is better to be aware of what is going on around. Everyone can use their headphones in good security conditions!
Do you also use headphones while traveling? Do not hesitate to share your experience and advice in comments. This article was produced in partnership with Bose, but I am nonetheless free from the content and the comments made on this product. You can buy it directly from Amazon. Since the writing of this article, Bose has released a new model, the QuietComfort 35 II, which is even more efficient: it is this one that you can buy now because the first version is only available now opportunity.